Collapsible tube cap



April 11, 1944. H. P. M NAIL COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CAP Filed Feb. 3. 194136mm me mad f INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CAPHoward P. McNail, Detroit, Mich. Application'February 3, 1941, SerialNo. 377,177

1 Claim. ('01. 221-60) This invention relates to closures forcontainers, such as collapsible tubes to which it is more especiallyapplicable although not necessarily limited thereto; and has for itsobject to provide a closure arrangement which is both simple inconstruction and positive in operation, and which may be produced, as bymolding, at such a low cost as will render it attractive from amanufacturing standpoint.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a closure whereinthe cap may be readily made of attractively colored opaque ortranslucent molded plastic, without necessitating metal or otherinserts, or the addition thereto, separate parts requiring assemblywork.

A further object is to provide, in the contemplated structure, aone-piece cap capable of permanent attachment to the nozzle or neck ofthe tube or container, and of easy operation by rotation for the openingand closing of the outlet of the said tube or container.

A still further object is to provide in such closure a form of radiallyexpansible cap having a pin-and-slot connection with the nozzle or neckof the tube or container so arranged that the pin may be snapped intothe slot of the connection by virtue of the expansible nature of thecap.

Still further objects and advantages subsidiary to the aforesaidobjects, or resulting from the construction or operation of theinvention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as thesaid invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may provide a tube orcontainer with a nozzle or neck having a non-central opening or outlettherein, preferably in the side wall thereof, a pin or projectionintegrally extending from the side wall of the said nozzle or neck, anda cap adapted to fit over and enclose the said nozzle or neck;

the said cap being slotted to permit radial expansion and provided withan internal groove extending around part of the internal surface of thecap to receive the said pin, whereby the cap may be locked on the nozzleor neck in a manner capable of partial rotation thereon as limited bythe extent of the said slot. I provide both the nozzle and the cap withopenings which may be brought into registration when the cap is rotatedto one of the positions permitted by the limitations of the said slot.All of which is more particularly described and ascertained hereinafter,by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is an end view of a tube embodying the improved closure;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 4 is a cross section of the closure, taken on the plane indicatedby the line 4-4, in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the nozzle end of the tube with thecap removed;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the cap, taken on the planeindicated bythe line 6-6, in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the tube nozzle;

Figure 8 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a correspondinglymodified form of cap.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the severalfigures of the drawing.

A collapsible tube I is shown having a hollow nozzle or neck 2 that ispreferably tapered from the base to the outer end, as shown, and isprovided with an oif-center opening or outlet which, in the exampleFigures 1 to 4 is shown as being through the side wall of the nozzle at3, and in the example Figure 7 through the end wall of the nozzle as at5.

'l is a hollow cap having an inner configuration adapting it to snuglyfit over the said nozzle of the tube and provided with a projectin thumbpiece 8 whereby it may be manually rotated when in position on the saidnozzle. Pin-and-slot means are provided for both locking the cap on thesaid nozzle and for determining a limited rotational movement of thesaid cap thereon, and, in the case of the first example Figures 1 to 6,the pin or projection 9 is formed integrally, as by molding, on the sidewall of the nozzle 2, and the groove or slot l0 formed, as by molding,on the inner surface of the side wall of the cap 1.

The pin or projection 9 is preferably formed with an inclined uppersurface I l, as clearly shown in Figure 5, and a fiat under surface II,which fiat surface is intended to extend over and engage the lower walll3 of the groove I 0. This groove l0 extends partially around the innersurface of the cap 1 to permit when engaged by the pin 9, the rotationof the cap to an extent limited by the length of the said groove H),which I prefer to be about one quarter of a revolution of the cap. Thus,in the first example, the opening 14 which I provide in the side wall ofthe cap may be moved into and out of register with the discharge opening3 the side wall of the tube nozzle, as will be readily apparent.

To permit ready and simple attachment of the cap to the nozzle of thetube, I provide for radial expansion in the cap so that it may be forcedover the pin or projection 9 and snapped into locked assembled position,with the said pin properly engaged in the groove M of the cap, and thisradial expansion feature is simply attained by slitting the side wall ofthe cap upwardly of the base to a sufficient extent. A very desirableand effective method is to simply sever the wall of the cap betweenthe-base and the opening 14, as at l5, so that the presence of the saidopening l4 assists in providing the eXpansible feature sought.

To further assist the entry of the pin or projection 9 into the groove Iof the cap, I may provide an inclined recess or guide way It on theinner side of the edge of the cap, the inclined wall of which recesswill cooperate with the in-' clined surface I l of the pin 9 tovfacilitate the .en-

try of the pin into the groove and the snapping of the cap over the saidpin or projection.

Still further, I may cam or incline the groove l0 relative to the baseof the cap so that it will operate against the underside of the :pin orprojection 9 to draw the cap more tightly on to the tapered surface ofthe nozzle tube as the cap is rotated to a closed position.

Where the opening I4 is provided in the side of the cap, as shownin thefirst example, I prefer to cut away the surrounding part of the said capto provide a flat surface I"! which will facilitate access to materialbeing ejected from the tube and permit easy cleaning of surface materialfrom that area, and which will minimize wastage of such material.

Referring to the modification, Figures 7 and 8, it will be seen that thesame principles and elements hereinbefore referred to are embodied in aslightly different but equivalent form, the discharge opening of thetube being provided in an off-center manner in theend of the nozzle l8,and the opening it corresponding to the opening [4 of the first examplebeing similarly provided in an off-center manner in the end. of the cap20. The pin 2! in this case is shown as being formed on the inside ofthe side wall of the cap 20, the under side 22 of the said pin beinglevelled and the inclined guide slot 23. is formed in the side wall ofthe nozzle l8 extending downwardly to the arcuate groove or recess 24formed in the side wall of the said nozzle I8.

25 is the. slit in the side wall of the cap to afford 'the expansiblefunction whereby the projection 2| may be snapped. into the groove. 24.

The arrangement described provides a closure of the utmost simplicity,free from threads, and from more than a minimum number of parts; iscapable of production by simple molding or 5 forming processes withoutnecessitating complication by additional parts or inserts; the cap, onceapplied to the nozzle by simply snapping into position, is permanentlylocked thereon and cannot thereafter be removed or lost; and the clos- 1ure when properly constructed is clean, leakproof, smooth in operation,and pleasing in appearance.

It should be understood that, while a feature 'of the invention is thatthe nozzle and the cap ,15. elements. may be and preferably are each ofonevpiece construction, it is not desired to forego the right to makethem of more than one piece, if so desired, while retaining theoperative features distinguishing the invention from the prior art 20and accomplishing the objects sought. Thus the projection 9 or 2!, forexample, may be in the form of an insertion incorporated in the processof manufacture or assemblynotwithstanding that the novel constructiondescribed renders such com-plication unnecessary.

ing be read as merely illustrated of a practical embodiment of the saidinvention.

What I claim is: I

A closure for a container, comprising an outwardly tapered aperturedpart for dispensing contents from said container, an inverted sub:

stantially cup shaped internally tapered part telescoped over theapertured part for free turning movement thereon and having adischarge-way for registry with the aperture in the outwardly taperedpart, one of: the parts having a groove,

and also provided with a bevelled guideway leading from a free edgethereof directly to the said groove, a fixed latching projection. on theother part for riding the guideway to have it engaged in the groove onthe telescoping, of the parts together for latching the same, and asplit area formed in. the last named part and entering the discharge-wayfor the spreading of such area yieldingly on the riding of theprojection in said 0 guideway for the snapping engagement .of theprojection in the groove.

HOWARD P. MCNAIL.

